Real fear is that SARS becomes endemic

WHEN you look at the number of people infected with SARS and the number of people it kills, at first sight it seems hard to fathom why it is making international headlines. In terms of deadliness and numbers infected, it must rank well down the list.

However, as the World Health Organisation stated, the real fear is that it becomes endemic.

For Ireland, this is specifically relevant with the upcoming Special Olympics, because we are creating exactly the right conditions for it to become so drawing people from all over the world, mixing them up and then returning to their own countries.

Inevitably, some will have been exposed to SARS and the real nightmare scenario is that it spreads among the attendees who then return and spread it in their own countries. Leaving it, of course, widespread in Ireland.

The real tragedy, though, would be where Ireland becomes responsible for making a new disease that kills at the moment around 10% of those that contract it and for which we have no cure endemic worldwide. Since it is viral, it also has the potential to mutate into more deadlier forms.

Surely the Government must ask itself whether Ireland can take that risk.

Better to postpone the Special Olympics than infect the world.

After all, we had no problem postponing the Six Nations rugby tournament to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth.

Richard Ashton,

Gas Yard Lane,

Malahide,

Co Dublin.